Sunday Inspiration: What It Brings

Friday Favorites: Max

Just over a year ago when we lost our sweet Oscar dog to canine lymphoma, my heart was so broken - I couldn't imagine ever having another dog.  Ever.  But as we know, time heals all things.  Which explains why I recently, I found myself missing - even craving - the sort of companionship he offered while I worked from home by myself.

Although I still wasn't convinced that I was ready for a new furry friend, I would frequently find myself drawn to the websites for the local shelters.  I sent a few pictures to the Man of the House.  I guess I was dropping hints, but I didn't want to admit it at the time.  And he was picking up those hints. He had actually stopped by the local shelter.

Fast forward to last Friday evening, when he started showing me some postings for puppies he had found on Craig's List.  Almost before I knew what was happening, a couple of quick emails were sent and we had arranged to go see some dachshund puppies the next morning.

Long story, short (well - still kind of long, but shorter than it could have been) - that's how this little guy came to be part of our family!

His name is Max.  He's a smooth-haired dachshund.  And I'm pretty much completely head over heels for him already.  How could I not be?  I mean - look at him!

Isn't he just the cutest?  He only weighs about 3 pounds and he's so teeny tiny!

Although I received several nice things for Christmas - he is by far my favorite gift!



via GIPHY

Joyful Gratitude: December 26

I Am Thankful For:

Cute little dogs with big ears
Helping a stranger
Baking supplies
Fruit salad
Playing with the cat
A warm house on a cold night morning
Last minute Etsy orders
Cinnamon spice pecans
School Christmas parties
Fresh haircut
A new puppy
Surf & Turf dinner
Puppy barks
Baking cookies

Sunday Inspiration: Rejoicing and Reflection

Joyful Gratitude: December 19

I Am Thankful For:

Monday mornings
Pants that are too big
Cute gift card holders
Candy canes
Packages on the front porch
Sunshine
Ice on the back porch
Yogurt with berries
Clear blue skies
Cute puppies on the internet
Waking up from a strange dream
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Christmas shopping done
Watching The Grinch
Grand kid sleepover
Hearing "Good morning, Oma!"
Sparkly fingernails

Sunday Inspiration: Most Truly

Joyful Gratitude: December 12

I Am Thankful For:

A beautiful day despite the cold

Snow on the mountain tops

Lights on the Christmas tree

Wind rushing through the trees

Decorating for Christmas

That very first sip of morning coffee

Good reports from Dad's doctors

The TV accidently activating Alexa

Working on Orders

Staying on track

Sunrise

Lunch with Mom

Christmas shopping with The Man of the House

Talking to Grand Kid on the phone

Cheese

Homemade turkey noodle soup

God's grace

Nasal spray

Out of Sorts

Over the past few weeks I am feeling as if I have my act together in no way whatsoever.  It almost seems like the more I try to get it together - the more out of sorts I become.  I'm just wandering through.  

I'm still setting goals and making my To Do lists.  But they are vague and meandering.  Disorganized.  There isn't a good focus to them.  I keep getting distracted, which leads to not accomplishing tasks in the time I have allotted to them.  Then I try to catch up, putting me behind on the next thing.

I am hoping this week is the one that turns all that around!  This week I am focusing on sticking to my schedule and reducing distractions.

My goals this week are:

• Lose 1.5 pounds
• Wrap Christmas presents
• Ship 3 orders
• Create Sunday Inspiration blog posts for January

What are your goals for the week?

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas

Time to Smell The Roses

Certain scents seem to have a specific age to me.

Obviously there is the delicious smell of babies - baby wash, powder, and the undefinable sweetness that is infant.

Love's Baby Soft was the scent of my youth.  Does anyone else remember that?  Do they still make it?   Still a powdery scent, but with more floral notes.  I couldn't get enough of it during my middle school years. I pity anyone who had to spend time around me if they didn't care for that fragrance.  There was no escaping it!

My college days will always smell like Sand and Sable.  Which also smelled like the beach.

Like so many others, sometime in the late 90s discovered Bath and Body Works where I was a Moonlight Path wearer for several years.

The scent of roses always seemed suited to an older woman.  I don't know why.  Maybe when I was young I knew an older woman that worse rose perfume.  Or perhaps someone told me that, or I read it somewhere.  What ever caused it, I didn't wear scents that were especially floral - particularly rose - for years.

Until recently...

Now I can't seem to get enough of it!  I think it started with my rose water and witch hazel face toner.  Then I found the minted rose lip balm.  And now I am loving anything with a soft rose scent.

Of course, I refuse to acknowledge that now that just as I reach a stage of life where I enjoy wearing rose scents I might, in fact, be an "older woman".

Joyful Gratitude: December 5

I Am Thankful For:

Morning birds

Errands completed

Planning Thanksgiving dinner

A doctor appointment going well

Walking a dog

Waking early

Thanksgiving prep

Watching a movie with the grand kid

Turkey in the oven

Burnt sweet potatoes

Leftover turkey sandwiches

Black Friday shopping with the Female Offspring

Pumpkin pie for breakfast

Napping away a cold

The Male Offspring making me laugh

Christmas decorations

Finding the perfect gift

Currently... December 2019

November was not the month I expected it to be as it began.  Oh, sure - it started off normal enough.  My 50th birthday was lovely.  On the 13th, the Man of the House and I headed to Cleveland where we visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Christmas Story House and attended the Thursday night football game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  (Yes, that game.  The one with the helmet incident.  It was crazy!)  After a fun trip and a very long drive home, we arrived safely at about 2am on Saturday.  

Later that morning was when everything went topsy-turvy.  I received a call that my father was being taken to the hospital with what appeared to be a heart attack.  He required a heart cath, followed by a triple bypass surgery.  It's all mostly a blur of long days and nights in hospital waiting areas and ICU rooms with my sisters and his girlfriend.  Fortunately, he came through the surgery well and is back home.  And while he has a long recovery period ahead of him - he's a stubborn guy with a determination to get back to his regular routines.  That makes two of us!

Reading:  I just finished The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  The first of the five classics I plan to read this year.  Now I am starting A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House.

Celebrating: Every step of my dad's recovery process!  Along with Christmas, my sister's birthday and the upcoming new year. 

Working On:  A collaboration between my Etsy shop and my middle sister's shop!  I'm not quite ready to share all the details yet, but it should be good for both businesses. 

Wanting:  To do some Christmas baking.  I haven't done in any several years, but for some reason I find myself wanting to whip up some Christmas cookies this year.  

Needing:  At least two entire days worth of sleep.  I didn't get a good night's sleep for about two weeks and I think I'm still paying for that.  It's probably why I caught a nasty cold right after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, having a head full of sinus pressure doesn't help one get a restful sleep either.  

Making:  Lists and lists and lists.  Christmas lists - lists of who I need to shop for, lists of what I have already bought.   Grocery lists.  Lists of what I want to bake.  To do lists.  Lists of my lists.

Wearing:  A lot of dresses or tunics with leggings and boots.  It's comfy, and, as I mentioned last month, a good option with where I am in my weight loss journey rather than having to buy new pants every couple of months.

Feeling:  Extremely grateful and oh-so-very aware of how every single day is a gift. 

Enjoying:  Coffeemate Sugar Free Peppermint Mocha creamer in my morning coffee.  All the peppermint mocha flavor I adore, especially at this time of year - with very few Weight Watchers points!  

Anticipating:  The holiday season.  Especially cuddling up on the couch with a cup of tea or cocoa to watch all my favorite Christmas movies.

What is December bringing your way?

Sunday Inspiration: December

Joyful Gratitude: Happy Thanksgiving

I Am Thankful For:

Having my sisters together for support
Surgery went well
The Man of the House bringing dinner to the hospital
Laughing in the waiting room
Singing of wind chimes
Chocolate brownies
A beautiful morning
27 years of marriage
Warm autumn days
A dog sticking his head out the sunroof
Dad going home sooner than expected
Tuna steaks
Being able to help out
Sugar free cocoa
A morning with my Dad
Close games
Facial masks

Sunday Inspiration: Be This, Not That

Joyful Gratitude: November 21

I Am Thankful For:
A beautiful warm day before the chill
Gingerbread popcorn
A day with the grandkid
Wintery morning
My family all arriving safely where they need to be
Going with the flow and making it work
A bright full moon
Listening to podcasts in the car
A visit to the Football Hall of Fame
Layers and layers
A warm blanket
A win for the home team
Football insanity
Coming home
God's protection

The Rest of Your Life

What's the old saying?  "Today is the first day of the rest of your life".  Or something pretty much like that.

Cliché, right?  Yep.  But... I'm feeling all those vibes today.  No matter how much of a cliché it may be - today IS the first day off the rest of your life.

What do I want the second half of my life to look like?  Healthier.  Happier (even happier than it already is).  Travel.  Success in my business.  Full of all the abundance that God promises.  In three little words -  The.  Good.  Life.  

That's what I want for myself.  All of that and more.  So much more.  Because today IS the first day of the rest of my life.

Now that I have those intentions set, the next step is to decide what steps I am going to take to get there.  Not an easy task.  But so very important.  Because there is another saying "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

What do you want the rest of your life to look like? And what do you need to do to get there?

Sunday Inspiration: Choose Joy

Joyful Gratitude: November 14

I Am Thankful For:

Finding cute sheets on clearance
Sugar free peppermint mocha creamer
Getting back on track
Spaghetti squash
Filling the bird feeders
Cat playing with his new toy
Stars
Kisses in the airport drop-off zone
Deep conditioned hair
Sunshiny cold mornings
Happy curls
The Man of the House finally getting on a flight home
Soup for dinner on a chilly night
Giggles
That first sip of morning coffee
Nail-biter endings to a football game
Homemade salsa

31 Days of Joy

Y'all know that I select one word as my focus each year, rather than making resolutions. My word for this year is Joy.

I try to do Bible studies and read books that help me to learn more about and grow in the word that I have chosen for the year.  As I read my Bible each day, I make note of verses that include my one word (or some version of it or a related word).

For a while, I have thought that I would like to take those verses I collected and create a Bible study or reading plan.  After putting it off for far too long - it is now a reality!  My first ever original Bible Reading Plan.

These are all verses focusing on Joy.  Ones which spoke to my heart throughout this year.  My prayer is that they help you find joy also.

Want a printable version?  Find it HERE:  31 Days Of Joy

I recommend reading each verse a couple of times.  Then take a few minutes to journal your thoughts and feelings.  Make notes about what stands out to you from the verse and how it applies to your life and/or circumstances.

Please let me know if you try the reading plan.  I would love your thoughts and feedback!

Sunday Inspiration: Fear

Friday Favorites: Pens, Planners and Notebooks

I think everyone has their favorite thing.  That they can't get enough of.  That one thing that others may not fully understand.  And that's ok, others don't have to get it.  It just makes them happy. 

For some people it's shoes. Or handbags.  Or some sort of figurines.  Or electronic gadgets.  Or... well, you get the point.

My thing is pens, planners and notebooks.  It's no big secret either.  Which is probably why I received three different kinds of pens for my birthday! From three different people. 😂

I adore a good colorful pen.  Felt tip, ball pint, gel pens.  I love them all!  Who wants to write with a plan ol' black or blue pen unless they have too?  Not this woman!

I also received 3 planners and notebooks on my birthday!

I don't know what it is about planners and notebooks.  But I love them.  I use them for journaling, making lists, keeping track of events, orders and blogging plans.  Obviously, the cuter the better.  But even a good ol' spiral notebook can make me happy.


What's your favorite thing?

Joyful Gratitude: November 7

I Am Thankful For:

A bonus day with the Grand Kid
Unexpected afternoon nap on the couch
Birthday planning
Catching up on things
Low WW point tacos
Making lists
Looking forward
Rainy Autumn days
Birthday rewards
Goals met
Halloween
Costume pictures from my favorite spooky people
Birthday flowers
Having the best friends in the world
Early morning happy birthday wishes
Free birthday drink from Starbucks
The Male Offspring cooking dinner
Birthday sundae
A new FitBit
Eggs benedict
Feeling cute
A new bee shirt
A perfect Autumn day
Grand kid hugs
More birthday gifts
Nachos

Another New Year

Happy Monday y'all!  I had a lovely birthday weekend.

Typically I start the week off by sharing my goals for the next 7 days.  But, this week, instead of weekly goals - I want to talk about the coming year of my life.

You may recall my Before 50 post of a year ago and which I recapped just last week.  A list to keep me focused on things I want to work on - or things I have been working on and want to finally accomplish.  I enjoyed having a list of plans, goals and wishes to work toward achieving throughout the year so much, that I decided to make it a regular thing.

You'll see a few are items that didn't get marked off last year's list.  Many are new.  Some are simple.  A couple of them will tug me right out of that ol' comfort zone.  (Which is a good thing.) 

So, without further ado - let's take a look a the 15 Before 51 List!

1. Reach my goal weight.
2. Get into an exercise routine.  .
3. Attend a crochet group
4. Learn how to make Key Lime pie (one of my favorite desserts) from scratch
5.  Read these 5 classic novels
•  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
• Watership Down
• The Secret Garden
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
6. Attend a play
7. Take a class
8. Road trip!
9. Eat meatless meals one day per week
10. Start a sketchbook
11. Go on a spontaneous weekend away with the Man of the House
12. Get a family photo with the kids and grand kid
13. Go to a movie by myself
14. Donate blood at least 3 times this year
15. Crochet something for charity

And there you have it.  I'll be posting updates periodically over the next year.  Are you ready to follow along on my journey?  

Sunday Inspiration: Focus

Currently... November 2019

Today, I have officially been walking the planet for an entire half of a century.  Fifty.  That number has me feeling a little shell-shocked.  I'm not all freaked out about getting older (like I did when I turned thirty).  I'm just finding it hard to believe that meany years have come and gone.  It certainly doesn't feel as if it has been that long. So much of that time has been amazing.  Some of it was pretty good.  And a tiny little bit has been down right rotten.  But every single moment has brought me to where I am today.  And I like this season of life - a LOT!

Reading:  The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and Everybody, Always by Bob Goff.  Just started the first one, so no opinion on that.  Enjoying Everybody, Always immensely!  On the "To Be Read" list for this month are The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff and Tidelands by Philippa Gregory.

Celebrating:  My birthday is just the first of our celebrations in November!  The Man of the House and I will celebrate our 27th anniversary on the 21st.  And of course there's Thanksgiving at the end of the month.

Working On:  Purging some of my clothing.  It is a wonderful feeling to have pants that no longer fit because they are too big - instead of too small!  Even my fitted yoga pants are now more of a loose fit.

Wanting:  To continue losing weight throughout the holiday season; or at the very least, maintain the weight loss that I have achieved so far

Needing:  Some cute, comfy, inexpensive leggings.  Rather than having to buy new clothes every couple of months as I lose weight, I have a few dresses and tunics that I can wear with leggings and sweaters to get me through the winter.  I figure it's much less expensive to replace leggings than jeans, etc.

Making:  Big plans for my Etsy shop next year

Feeling:  Pretty darn good!  I'm so happy to finally feel as if I have control over my weight.  I'm now closer to my goal weight than my start weight.  I'm seeing and feeling physical changes.

Enjoying:  Wearing all my somewhat-too-big-jeans before they get so big that I can't wear them anymore.  I haven't tried on my favorite jeans, which were too small before - but that's happening soon!  (fingers crossed)

Anticipating:  The Man of the House and I have planned a trip up to Cleveland.  We're going to the Football Hall of Fame, a Browns football game and the Rock n Roll Hall of fame.  And maybe a few other things that catch our fancy along the drive.

That's what November looks like for me.  What are you up to this month?

Joyful Gratitude: October 31

I Am Thankful For:

Making a school lunch for the first time in years
Time with my "baby" sister
Looking at the photos everyone took at the wedding
Lunch with my dad
When the rain stops
Visiting with my mom
A sneak peek at a new project my sister is working on
The grand kid making up new holidays
Lunch with my sister and niece
Stories from the Grand kid
Late night talks
Watching "scary" movies with the grand kid
Homemade soup when I'm feeling yucky
Rainy Saturdays
Poached eggs and toast

50-ish

It's almost the big day!  I have had an amazing year as my 40s rolled to a close. And I'm looking forward to seeing what the next decade brings my way.  But before I got into all of that - let's take a look back at my "Before 50" list from last November!

1.  Finally lose that extra weight that I have been carrying
Thanks to Weight Watchers, almost 30 pounds are gone and I am well on my way to reaching my goal weight!  


2.  Visit at least 1 new destination.

For our vacation this year, we went to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  While there, we took a day trip down to Savannah, Georgia.  Both were places I have never visited before. 

3.  Read at least 5 books I've never read before from this list
Four out of five is pretty good.  

•   Anna Karenina
•   Fahrenheit 451
•   Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
•   Great Expectations
  

  
4.  Be vegetarian for a month
We did this for two weeks, rather than a month.  I think the Man of the House and I could have gone the full month, and may still give that a go later this year.  But after going along for two weeks, the Male Offspring was ready for some meat-based protein.  

  
5.  Take one of the specialty tours at Biltmore

  
6.  Join a crochet/knitting group

 7.  Learn to meditate
I used "The Basics" on Headspace to help me get started. After that I switched to an app called Insight Timer for another series on meditation basics and now use it as a timer for most of my meditation sessions. I like that the timer includes options for nice ambient sounds and bells. Occasionally, I use a Christian meditation app, Reflect, for some Scripture focused meditation.   I practice meditating several days a week and I am really enjoying the quiet time to give my mind and spirit a chance to clear out and refresh.  

  
8.  See a play (or two. I adore live theatre and don't know why I don't go more often)

  
9.  Get my office organized once and for all
Yeh, I did!!  It's so nice to have that space feeling like my place to work and not just a spot to store my suppliesl

10.  Take a yoga class

11.  Get a really good haircut by a curly hair specialist

12.  Go to a movie by myself

13.  Go to bed super early and get up super early for one week.  Or a  month.
I tried to do this one week, but life got in the way and I never seemed to make it to bed until at least 10pm each night. I have made an effort to go to bed and get up earlier - just not "super early"

14.  Send postcards whenever I go out of town or visit somewhere new

I made a half hearted attempt at this.  I bought postcards when we went on vacations.  I even sent one to the grand kid.  But that's as far as I got with that.

15.  Overcome my fear of heights

I can't say that I have "overcome" my fear of heights, but I have taken steps to push past it.  Like walking the Sky Bridge in Gatlinburg, TN.  Yes, my legs were shaking the entire time and I didn't do much looking around (especially down); but I made it all the way across and back.  And we were waaaaay up on the upper deck at the Panther's game and I did very well with that. 

photo taken by me from the center of the Gatlinburg Sky Bridge

I enjoyed making a list of things I would like to accomplish, experience or try each year.  So much so that I would like to make it a regular habit.  Stay tuned... I will be posting a new wish list for the next year very soon!

Back on Track

The past two weeks have been completely crazy!  Goals were just about the last thing on my mind.

The entire week before our daughter's wedding flew by much too quickly.  Anything on the to do list other than planning and prep got set on the back burner.  The wedding?  She was beautiful.  It was beautiful.  There were many, many, many happy tears.  The whole day is a bit of a blur.

Last week was full of unwinding after all the prewedding stress, visiting with my sister, and taking care of the grand kid.  I forgot how much time goes into school pick ups, packing lunches, etc! To be completely honest - setting goals for the week never even crossed my mind.

This week is all about getting back into my routines.  And getting back on track - with my healthy habits (drinking water, tracking food, etc), my blogging and my Etsy orders.


My goals for this week are:

• Set goals for November
• Plan goals and wish list for the upcoming year
• Ship 3 orders
• Write 3 upcoming blog posts
• Clean/Declutter/Organize bathroom drawers

What are your goals for this week?

Sunday Inspiration: Joy and Suffering

Joyful Gratitude: October 24

I Am Thankful For:

Happy curls
New undergarments
Early to bed
Waking up before the sun
Spooky TV for October
Morning bird serenade
Treating my curls to a little TLC
An afternoon with the grand kid
Taco Thursday
Shiny toenails
Family arriving safely
Happy tears
Backup plans
A beautiful bride
A beautiful wedding
Crackers and ginger ale
Dinner with family

Sunday Inspiration: Three Things

Joyful Gratitude: October 17

I Am Thankful For:

Cloudy days
Working on orders
Morning phone calls
Rainy afternoons
Veggie spring rolls
The Man of the House home again
Taco Tuesday the Wednesday
Low point lunch
Apologies
Extra foggy morning
When the grandkid says, "Oma, I can't wait to see you again"
New shirts for the Man of the House
Planning dinners
Rainy mornings

Boys on Bikes

When the male offspring was young, he used to free range to some extent.  While there were rules, boundaries and expectations, he would pretty much play all over the neighborhood.

He enjoyed exploring and playing pretend.  And we gave him a certain amount of freedom to do just that.  He would ride his bike up and down the street, coming home with the typical bumps, scrapes and bruises.  As well as one flip over the handle bars that led to the emergency room to have a gash on his chin glued shut.  I didn't think much of it at the time.  I remembered doing the same thing as a child. 

It's funny how our perspectives can change over time.

There's a little boy a few houses down from us.  I see him from time to time, riding his little four wheeler up and down the street.

And... It. freaks. me. out!

He seems so little.  And what if a car turns down the road and doesn't see him?  Is he wearing a helmet and pads? (He is, btw)  He's all by himself!

Oh... what the hypocrite I am!  When did my attitude change so drastically?  And, why??

Is there something that you have found yourself looking at in a completely different way ?

Sunday Inspiration: No One Expects